Consumer brands hike festive ad spends up to 20% YoY as India’s adex heads for upwards ₹55,000 crore in FY26
From FMCG and durables to chocolates and incense, marketers are betting big on regional activations, digital-first storytelling, and on-ground visibility to ride the festive consumption wave; festive campaigns are expected to contribute nearly 30% of annual spends.
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Consumer brands across categories are stepping up their festive advertising playbooks, with marketing spends rising by as much as 15–20% year-on-year (YoY) this season.
The surge comes at a time when India’s overall advertising expenditure (adex) is projected to touch Rs 55,000 crore in FY26, marking an 18–20% growth. Notably, festive campaigns are expected to contribute nearly 28–30% of this annual spend.
Read more: GST 2.0 likely to lift festive cheer: India’s AdEx set to top Rs 55,000 cr in FY26, up 18–20% YoY
While FMCG traditionally sees limited festive spikes beyond categories like chocolates, oils and sugar, consumer durables, personal care, and lifestyle brands are powering this year’s momentum.
Playbooks across sectors
Consumer brands across categories are stepping up their festive advertising playbooks, with marketing spends rising by as much as 15–20% year-on-year (YoY) this season.
The surge comes at a time when India’s overall advertising expenditure (adex) is projected to touch Rs 55,000 crore in FY26, marking an 18–20% growth. Notably, festive campaigns are expected to contribute nearly 28–30% of this annual spend.
While FMCG traditionally sees limited festive spikes beyond categories like chocolates, oils and sugar, consumer durables, personal care, and lifestyle brands are powering this year’s momentum.
“This year, we have significantly expanded our festive marketing initiatives compared to last year,” said Poulomi Roy, CMO, Joy Personal Care (RSH Global).
“Our focus is on strengthening regional connections through culturally relevant and experiential marketing. For instance, in Maharashtra we are leveraging Ganesh Chaturthi through Zee Marathi Sanman and creator collaborations, while in West Bengal we are driving pre-Pujo excitement with Times Pujor Hullor. These initiatives are being amplified across media to keep the brand top-of-mind.”
For consumer durables, the thrust is on visibility and shopper engagement.
“The larger focus during festive period is on driving visibility on-ground, particularly at stores and on digital platforms,” said Swati Rathi, Head of Marketing, Appliances Business, Godrej Enterprises Group. “Kerala, for example, has an ongoing video campaign across TV, connected TV and mobile platforms for Onam, apart from in-store activations. We’ve also run high-decibel campaigns this year for our AI-powered refrigerators and washing machines, including an innovative hoarding campaign live across multiple cities.”
For brands rooted in rituals and gifting, spends are higher than ever.
“This year, Zed Black has increased its festive marketing spends by nearly 15–20% compared to last year,” said Ankit Agarwal, Partner and Director, MDPH and Zed Black. “Our approach is multi-pronged—prime-time TV ads, print campaigns in top dailies, localized activations during Durga Puja and Diwali, as well as influencer collaborations and temple-based activations. Incense sticks and puja products are central to festive traditions, making this our single biggest consumer touchpoint.”
Chocolates too are emerging as a festive gifting staple.
“From Raksha Bandhan to Diwali, chocolates have become integral to celebrations,” said Nikhil Rao, CMO, Mars Wrigley India. “We’ve seen festive stock on quick commerce platforms like Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart move faster than ever, with strong traction from the North and steady demand from the West and South. Our festive portfolio—Snickers gift packs, Mars Minis, and Galaxy Jewels—is designed to fit every gifting occasion.”
Market outlook:
According to Kotak Institutional Equities, consumer durables saw mixed trends in Q1FY26: room AC sales slumped 30–40% YoY due to weak demand, but wires and cables reported robust 25–35% YoY growth. Brands like Voltas, Blue Star and Whirlpool are expected to lean on festive promotions to clear high channel inventory.
Meanwhile, FMCG players remain cautious. K. Ramakrishnan, MD-South Asia, Worldpanel by Numerator, noted that “the FMCG basket doesn’t see significant festive uplift except for chocolates and a few categories. GST reforms, however, could drive consumption by narrowing the gap between branded and unbranded products.”
With the government considering GST rationalisation to stimulate demand, alongside factors like lower inflation, rising disposable incomes, and regional festivities, consumer sentiment is expected to stay buoyant.
As an analyst points out “a moderate pickup in consumption demand is likely, supported by tax cuts and rate easing.”
